1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a video signal transmitting apparatus for transmitting a video signal picked up, for example, by a video camera to a signal processing system at a later stage.
2. Background of the Invention
In a case where a high-speed photographing is carried out by a video camera system which is constituted by a video camera and a camera control unit (hereafter, referred to as xe2x80x9cCCUxe2x80x9d) like a video camera system for broadcast business use, it is possible to obtain a signal having a frequency band which is two times as fast as a conventional standard video signal.
Conventionally, this high-speed video signal has been transmitted as it is directly from the camera to the CCU. In a case of the high-speed video signal being digitally transmitted, when the same image quality as an image of a standard-speed is sought after in comparison with a standard signal transmission, a sampling frequency of a twofold of the standard speed has been needed.
Problems this Invention is to Solve
With the above-mentioned conventional video camera system, since a sampling frequency of a twofold speed is necessary to seek after the same picture quality in a high-speed video signal as an image of a standard-speed, a drive frequency of an LSI (large scale integrated circuit) and the like to deal with a signal becomes very high and at the same time, a higher timing performance is required at respective electric circuits, which have technically been difficult, thereby incurring a inconvenience. Also, although some high-speed photographing speed can be coped with, in a case of coping with another speed, since a video signal obtained as it is leads to changes of a band when it comes to a wide range of speeds, there is an inconvenience such that it is difficult to simply cope with variable speeds.
The present invention is implemented in view of such aspects and its objective is to provide a video signal transmitting apparatus, a video signal transmitting method, a video signal image pickup apparatus, and a video signal processing apparatus which are capable of obtaining the same picture quality as an image of a standard-speed from a high-speed video signals by simply converting a high-speed video signal into a plurality of video signals of a standard-speed.
According to the present invention, a signal transmitting apparatus for transmitting high-speed video signals, said video signals being obtained by picking up an image of an object by an image pickup means at a speed which is predetermined times faster than that of the standard video signal comprising:
a converting means for converting the output of said image pickup means into digital signals,
a signal dividing means for forming digital video signals having the speed of said standard video signal from the high-speed video signals outputted from said converting means at every unit, dividing said digital video signals into a plurality of channels and outputting said digital video signals,
a first signal processing means for performing a predetermined camera signal process to each of the output signals of said signal dividing means, converting said output of said signal dividing means into digital signals of said plurality of channels in the predetermined transmission format and outputting said digital signals,
a transmission path for transmitting the output of said first signal processing means,
a second signal processing means for converting said digital signals of said predetermined transmission format which have been transmitted through said transmission path into said original digital video signals having a plurality of channels,
an output means for converting the output of said second signal processing means into digital signals in the predetermined format and for outputting said digital signals.
The signal transmitting apparatus according to the present invention, said signal transmitting apparatus further comprising a memory means,
when high-speed video digital signals having a multiple number smaller than the number of channels of said signal dividing means are inputted from said converting means,
said signal dividing means generating an indication signal which indicates the period in which no digital video signal having the speed of said standard video signal exists on divided channel, and outputting said indication signal to said first signal processing means,
said first signal processing means outputting the digital signals of a predetermined transmission format, the period in which no digital video signal having the speed of said standard video signal exists, and said indication signal, said memory means writing each of said digital video signals of said plurality of channels outputted from said second signal processing means, reading said digital video signals of said plurality of channels outputted from said transmission path and arranged at every unit time with additional data period which is added in responsive to said indication signal and outputting said digital signals of said plurality of channels with each additional data period which have read by said memory means to said output means, said output means selecting and outputting said digital video signals of said plurality of channels with additional data period which have read by said memory means.
According to the present invention, a signal transmitting method for transmitting high-speed video signals which are obtained by photographing an object by an image pickup means at a speed which is predetermined times faster than that of standard video signal comprising:
a converting step of converting the output of said image pickup means into digital signals,
a signal dividing step of forming the digital signals having the speed of said standard video signal from said high speed photographing video signals unit by unit which have been formed in said converting step, dividing said digital video signals into a plurality of channels and outputting said divided digital video signals,
a first signal processing step of performing a predetermined camera signal process to each of the output signals of said signal dividing step, converting said digital signals into digital signals of said plurality of channels in a predetermined transmission format and outputting said signals,
a transmitting step of transmitting the output of said first signal processing step,
a second signal processing step of converting the digital signals which have been converted into a predetermined format and have been transmitted by said transmitting step into the original digital video signals of said plurality of channels,
an output step of converting the output of said second signal processing step into digital signals in a predetermined format and outputting said digital video signals.
The signal transmitting method according to the present invention, said signal transmitting method further comprising a memory step,
when high-speed video digital signals having a multiple number smaller than that of said channels of said signal dividing means are inputted from said converting means,
said signal dividing step generating an indication signal which indicates the period in which no digital video signal having the speed of said standard video signal exists on divided channel, and outputting said indication signal to said first signal processing step,
said first signal processing step outputting said digital signals in a predetermined transmission format, no digital video signal said no digital video signal having said standard video signal exists, and said indication signal,
said memory step writing each of said digital video signals of said plurality of channels outputted from said second signal processing step, reading said digital video signals of said plurality of channels outputted from said transmitting step and arranged at every unit time with additional data period which is added in responsive to said indication signal and outputting said digital video signals of said plurality of channels with each additional data period which have read by said memory step to said output step,
said output step selecting and outputting said digital signals of said plurality of channels with additional data period which have read by said memory step.
According to the present invention, a high speed image pickup apparatus which is applied to pick up an image of an object at a high speed which is faster than that of standard video signal and to output high-speed video signals obtained thereby comprising:
an image pickup means for picking up an image of an object at a speed which is predetermined times faster than that of the standard video signal,
a converting means for converting the output of said image pickup means into digital signals,
a signal dividing means for forming digital video signals having the speed of said standard video signal from the output of said converting means at every image unit, dividing said digital video signals into a plurality of channels and outputting said divided digital video signals,
a signal processing means for performing a predetermined camera signal process to each of the output signals of said signal dividing means, converting said digital signals into digital signals of said plurality of channels in a predetermined format and outputting said digital signals as high speed photographing video signals.
The high speed image pickup apparatus according to the present invention, when the multiple number of said photographing speed of said image pickup means is smaller than the number of channels of said signal dividing means,
said signal dividing means generating an indication signal which indicates the period in which no digital video signal having the speed of said standard video signal exists on divided channel, and outputting said indication signal to said signal processing means,
said signal processing means outputting said digital video signals in a predetermined transmission format, no digital video signal said no digital video signal having said standard video signal exists and said indication signal.
According to the present invention, a high speed image pickup method for picking up an image of an object at a high speed which is faster than that of standard video signal and for outputting the obtained high speed photographing video signals comprising:
an image pickup step for picking up an image of an object at a speed which is predetermined times faster than the speed of the standard video signal and for forming the video signals,
a converting step of converting the output of said image pickup step into digital video signals,
a signal dividing step of forming the digital video signals having the speed of standard video signal from the output of said converting step at every video unit, dividing said digital video signals into a plurality of channels and outputting said divided digital signals,
a signal processing step of performing a predetermined camera signal process to each of the output signals of said signal dividing step, converting said digital signals of said plurality of channels into a predetermined transmission format and outputting said digital video signals as high speed photographing video signals.
The high speed image pickup method according to the present invention, when the multiple number of said image pickup speed of said image pickup step is smaller than the number of said channels of said signal dividing step,
said signal dividing step generating an indication signal which indicates the period in which no digital video signal having the speed of said standard video signal exists on divided channel, and outputting said indication signal to said signal processing step,
said signal processing step outputting digital signals in said predetermined transmission format, no digital video signal said no digital video signal having the speed of said standard video signal exists, and said indication signal.
According to the present invention, an image pickup apparatus for picking up an image of an object at a speed which is selected from the speed of standard video signal and speeds faster than that of the standard video signal and for outputting the standard video signals or high speed photographing video signals which have been obtained thereby comprising:
an image pickup means for picking up an image of said object at a speed which is selected from the speed of the standard video signal or the speeds a predetermined times faster than that of the standard video signal,
a converting means for converting the output of said image pickup means into digital signals,
a signal dividing means for outputting the output of said converting means when the speed at which said image pickup means picks up an image of said object is the same as that of standard video signal and for forming digital video signals having the speed of said standard video signal from the output of said converting means at every video unit, dividing said digital video signals into a plurality of channels and outputting said digital video signals when the speed at which said image pickup means picks up an image of said object is predetermined times faster than that of the standard video signal,
a plurality of signal processing circuits, the number of which is at least the same as that of said channels divided by said signal dividing means and each having the same predetermined camera signal process function,
when the speed at which said image pickup means picks up an image of said object is the same as that of standard video signal, the output of said signal dividing means being processed by one channel of said signal processing circuits to convert said digital video signals into digital signals in the predetermined format, the operation of the other channels being stopped,
when the speed at which said image pickup means picks up an image of said object is predetermined times faster than that of standard video signal, the output of said signal dividing means being processed by all the channels of said signal processing circuits to convert said digital signals into digital signals of said plurality of channels in a predetermined format to be outputted as high speed photographing video signals.